Using Twitter to promote a blog

Laura15

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Hi. I just wanted some advice on the best way to use Twitter to promote a blog. I only recently started the blog and have just set up a Twitter account for it, but have no idea how to go about getting followers or using it to get people to my blog. I have never used Twitter before (I don't even have a personal account!) but understand the basics about hashtags and such. I'm just not sure how to promote my blog on it other than by posting links to new blog posts with relevant hashtags. Should I just start following bloggers and writers I like and see if they follow back?
Any advise would be appreciated!
 

Wilde_at_heart

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Add followers, tweet about whatever interests you and have a link to your blog on your profile.

I wouldn't recommend using twitter *just* to promote your blog posts as most people find it spammy. Depending on your blog platform you can send each update to a tweet automatically (though then there are security risks), but make sure to tweet about enough other things too.

It's about engaging people, so don't just follow them, but also retweet, favourite, reply, etc. Though easy does it.
 

areteus

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If your blog allows it, set up an automatic post link to twitter (and facebook) so that it posts a link everytime you post.

Getting followers is a matter of again interacting with others on there, joining in with discussions, telling your readers the account exists and so on. Can be a slow process...

I'm @areteus if you want to find me on there :)
 

Quotidianlight

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I second everything wilde_at_heart said. I was an early adopter and there is a definate culture to twitter (well actually several) It is easy to alianate people if you don't make a point to interact and became part of the twitter community. Make friends, interact and share your updates.
 

Jon W

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I'm in completely the same boat Laura15. As I write anonymously, I'd rather not follow friends, etc so struggle to get followers.

As said before, try to join in on discussions, etc on like minded blogs/twitter accounts and take it from there.

If you follow me, I'll follow you back (all of these individual follows will help!) @memoirsofamug . Good luck :)

@areteus , I have just followed you also
 

areteus

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I've probably followed back... :) If not I will do so soon...

I agree that you should not just post links to books or blogs. You need to post other things too. Try to start debates and discuss things relevant to your work in order to get people interested in you.

I think it is unfortunately hard to get started without using your existing friends because new friends come from friends of friends and so the network grows... its a hard slog otherwise and I respect you for attempting it.
 

cmhbob

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There's a thread here with AW member handles. I'd also strongly recommend following @elizabethscraig. She gets great stuff out there. She also indexes all of her tweets. Site is listed in her Twitter bio, I think.

You should also check out Rachel Thompson at http://rachelintheoc.com/ and her other site, BadRedheadMedia.com. She shares tons of resources about writers and social media.
 

Argotto

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With @nonpersons, my colleague and I generally respond to the things our followers talk about and add a joke or helpful comment, or we look at what's trending and post something in relation to those topics. Twitter can be a lot of fun if you have followers, ours are at a low number currently however.
 

wallomrslug

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I write for an entertainment blog www.pauseliveaction.wordpress.com and over the last couple of months set up a Twitter account to help promote my work.

By engaging in conversations about all sorts, providing useful links and retweeting and replying to posts of your followers I have now accumulated a large and active following and it keeps growing. As such, the hits are being shown on my blog and when I blog an article and tweet about it, it gets shared because of the interaction foundations I've put in place.

It takes time and a lot of work at the start but once you have a good following the work eases off dramatically.

Take a look at my twitter feed; I always follow back :)

https://twitter.com/Our_manPLA